Serena Williams didn't have an easy start on the WTA Tour as she felt other players weren't on board with her or her sister, Venus, back then.
Serena and Venus Williams didn't get the warmest welcome on the WTA Tour when they arrived on the scene. Tennis is such a competitive sport, and there is very little love between the players, but there are still many friendships on both Tours.
The 23-time major winner recently recalled what she heard at the start of her career and how fellow pros were gunning for them. They wanted to take them down, but she understood it on a competitive level.
She was a tremendous competitor, which is why she would end up being the greatest female tennis player of all time.
"People were having a conversation like, 'In the beginning of the tournament, I'm gonna beat Venus if I play her,' 'But you have to beat Serena [too].' These are real conversations I actually overheard."
"I don't even care. I would've done the same thing. Listen, you gotta win, but they literally wanted to take us down, and I mean, it's a sport. It's a game. What do you expect, they'd want you to win?"
The way people approached them early on in their careers helped them because every match was very challenging for them. Williams even explained that other players played harder against her and her sister than they played against each other, which contributed to them becoming even better.
"But I think the fact that they played us so much harder than they played each other was the reason why we were so much better. Because, imagine someone playing, giving you their best every single time, and fighting so hard against just you."
"And then you go a little lighter on the next person who's going to be better. I didn't have that target on my back. So, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been me."